Twenty Questions
by HedwigBlack
Summary: Charlie has Valentine's Day planned out for Katie until he has to babysit Rose who likes to ask too many questions. For the Your Favorite Couple Competition


Charlie levitated his bags of groceries as he searched the depths of his pockets for the key to his flat. Suddenly he felt them fly out of his coat and he looked up to find them dangling from his little brother's finger.

"Ron? What are you doing here?"

Ron tossed over the keys and looked down at his shifting feet.

"I need a favor…" he began.

Charlie rolled his eyes and opened the door and sent the groceries to sit on the kitchen counter with a flick of his wand. "Whatever it is the answer is no. I'm making Katie dinner tonight. It's Valentine's Day, remember?"

"I know and we had someone to babysit Rose until about an hour ago and then they cancelled and I already have reservations! Can you please take her?" Ron begged.

"You seriously want me to babysit your kids on Valentine's Day?" Charlie turned to face Ron and crossed his arms. Instead of answering, Ron burst out laughing which did not help his case at all. "What the bloody hell is so funny?"

"Charlie, why are you missing an eyebrow?"

Charlie lifted a hand to his face and realized he'd forgotten to fix that before he left the office. Luckily his left eyebrow had been the only casualty during his skirmish with the baby Hungarian Horntail he'd had to round up that morning. He rubbed his wand over his face and he felt the hair form over his eye. He'd lost enough eyebrows in his day that he'd had to find a handy spell to regrow them.

Charlie leaned against the counter. "Don't change the subject. Can't George watch the kids or something?"

"Hugo has a playdate so you just have to worry about Rose and she'll be an angel, I promise. George and Angelina went away for the weekend and Hermione's been looking forward to this forever! You guys were just going to hang out here anyway, right?"

Charlie wanted so badly to say no. He'd been preparing for a romantic night with Katie. They didn't get to spend very much time together even though he'd gotten a job at the Ministry so he wouldn't be in Romania anymore. She seemed to always be at Quidditch practice. But Charlie knew he couldn't say no to his niece. He never could.

He sighed and threw up his hands in defeat.

Ron practically jumped for joy. "Yes! You are a life saver!"

"You owe me big time, little brother."

"Of course! I'll bring her by at six, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure, sure." Ron disapparated and Charlie started pulling out the ingredients he needed. He was the only Weasley who had bothered to have his mother teach him to cook. He found it had paid off. Katie loved that about him. He felt a slight twinge of regret that he'd agreed to watch Rose, now that he kept thinking about Katie. He shoved the bottle of wine into the corner for later. _I guess I'm cooking for three._

Katie walked in an hour later looking breathtakingly beautiful. Then again she could have shown up in her Quidditch uniform covered in mud and he would still think so.

"Something smells good." She came up behind him and put her arms around his waist. "Happy Valentine's Day."

He turned to face her and kissed her forehead. "Don't be mad."

She looked up and furrowed her brow. "Why?"

"I kind of agreed to babysit Rosie tonight. Ron was begging and you know how I hate when he begs."

She grinned. "That's all right. She's a good girl."

"Are you sure? I was kind of looking forward to some alone time. I mean it is Valentine's Day and all."

"We can have some alone time when she leaves. I don't have to work tomorrow."

She really was the best. He leaned down and kissed her softly. "Love you."

"I love you too. Your eyebrow is black by the way."

She took over cooking the vegetables before they burned while he attempted to fix his eyebrow. He still couldn't get them to grow back right the first time. Then he took the spoon away from her and refused to let her help anymore. "I'm cooking for you. You just sit there and look pretty." She stuck out her lip and pretended to pout. She sat on a stool and started telling him a spirited account of an impressive goal she'd made that day at practice when there was a knock on the door. Charlie went and opened it to find Ron and Rose waiting outside.

"Hi, Uncle Charlie!" Rose jumped and he caught the five year old in his arms and he remembered why he'd agreed to watch her. He always spoiled Rose rotten. He couldn't help it.

"Thanks again, Charlie." Ron poked his head into the kitchen. "Sorry about this Katie."

"No problem! Have fun on your date."

Rose immediately ran over to Katie and dragged her into the living room to play which left Charlie to finish dinner. When they all sat down it took everything Charlie had to not laugh at Katie's hair which Rose had attempted and failed to braid. Her long blonde locks were sticking in every direction and had several pink bows tied into it.

Katie didn't seem to mind though and they all started to eat in silence. Until…

"Uncle Charlie, is Katie your girlfriend?"

"Yes, Rosie, she is."

"Cool!"

Charlie should have known this would happen. His niece really was well behaved. But she was also nosey and five years old. He met Katie's eye and winked.

"Katie?"

"Yes?"

"Are you guys in love?"

Katie blushed a little but answered readily. "Yes, sweetie."

And so their romantic Valentine's Day dinner became a game of twenty questions hosted by Rose Weasley. Charlie kept shaking his head and making apologetic faces at Katie and all Katie could do was laugh.

"Uncle Charlie?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you and Katie going to get married?"

Both Charlie and Katie nearly choked on their food. Charlie cleared his throat and said a little hoarsely. "Maybe. One day."

"I think you should. That would be awesome!"

"Yes. Totally awesome. Are you finished your dinner?" Charlie quickly took her plate and put it in the sink. "Why don't you go play in the living room? You've got a couple of toys in there that you left the last time you came over."

"Okay!" She was lucky she was adorable. She had Ron's flaming hair and Hermione's inquisitive nature. She would probably grow up to be a know-it-all like her mother.

Katie started to giggle uncontrollably.

"I'm so sorry about this." Charlie grabbed the bottle of wine and poured two large glasses.

"It's okay, really. I don't mind. She's a kid. What do you expect?"

"I know. It's just this was supposed to be a quiet romantic dinner not an interrogation."

"I know, love. And thank you for dinner. It was very sweet of you to do that for me." She kissed his cheek and took his hand to lead him toward the living room. When they entered they found Rose asleep on the couch with her music box open next to her.

"Yes!" Charlie breathed and sat down in a chair.

Katie sat down on his lap and laid her head on his shoulder. She tangled her fingers with his and he could tell she was lost in thought. Finally, she pulled away to look him in the eye. "Married huh?"

"I said maybe." The truth was that Charlie had thought about it. A lot. And he knew he was going to marry this girl. There was no doubt in his mind anymore.

Katie smiled. "Well, I think _maybe_ I like the sound of that."

"Do you now?"

"Mhmm."

They both jumped at a knock on the door. They got up out of the chair and Charlie answered the door. It was Ron. _Thank Merlin._

"She's asleep. How was your date?"

Ron came in and scooped Rose up in his arms.

"Great. Thanks a ton. How was your dinner? Was she good?" Ron eyed the pink bows in Katie's hair.

"Dinner was…" Charlie struggled for the best word.

"Interesting," Katie finished. "Dinner was interesting."

"Good night!" Charlie practically shoved Ron out the door and locked the door behind him. Then he grabbed Katie and pulled her into his arms, kissing her fiercely. She threw her arms around his neck and started to slowly pull him back towards the living room.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Charlie."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Katie."


End file.
